World Triathlon

In the last race to ever be held in the capital city of Alberta, Canada, Emma Moffatt of Australia won the 2007 Edmonton BG Triathlon World Cup in a time of 1 hour 57 minutes and 52 seconds for the first world cup win of her career. Moffatt out-sprinted local favourite and Junior champion Kirsten Sweetland of Canada in the final meters to claim the gold medal by only one second. Another Aussie, Annabel Luxford rounded out the podium a further 17 seconds back.

After threatening skies all morning, the sun came out for the start of the women’s 1,500-meter swim. As seen in the last three world cups, a group of three Americans led by Sara McLarty, pulled ahead early in the swim and quickly made a 90-second gap between themselves and a large chase group. Fortunate enough to make that front group was Moffatt, Sweetland, Luxford and Magali Di Marco Messmer.

The chase group of 19 women were unable to organise themselves and eventually fell to a 2 minute and 29 second deficit by the end of the challenging 40-kilometre bike course. In this group were a number of contenders including world cup winner Debbie Tanner of New Zealand, Kiyomi Niwata of Japan and the Canadian duo of Lauren Groves and Kathy Tremblay.

Immediately on the 10-kilometre run course Moffatt, Sweetland and Luxford pulled away from the rest of the group and opened a 20-second gap over the other women. Sweetland pushed the pace over the 3-lap run eventually dropping the 2005 world cup champion Luxford. Only Moffatt stayed with the young Canadian, tasting her first world cup win after finishing second here last year. Moffatt was the only one of the three without a world cup win to her name. Fifty meters from the finish, Moffatt put her head down and opened a small gap on the Canadian. The gap would not be closed and Moffatt broke the tape first in the dramatic finish.

American Sarah Groff, who broke her elbow in last weekend’s Des Moines world cup, and Sara McLarty crossed the line in fourth and fifth place respectively. Personal best finishes for both athletes.

2007 Edmonton BG Triathlon World Cup – Elite Women results
1. MOFFATT, Emma (AUS) 1:57:52
2. SWEETLAND, Kirsten (CAN) 1:57:53 +:01
3. LUXFORD, Annabel (AUS) 1:58:10 +:19
4. DI MARCO MESSMER, Magali (SUI) 1:59:21 +1:29
5. GROFF, Sarah (USA) 1:59:49 +1:58
6. MCLARTY, Sara (USA) 2:00:12 +2:21
7. SWAIL, Julie (USA) 2:00:24 +2:21
8. GROVES, Lauren (CAN) 2:00:32 +2:40
9. NIWATA, Kiyomi (JPN) 2:00:40 +2:49
10. WANG, Hongni (CHN) 2:01:11 +3:20

Full results are available here

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Olympic silver medalist Bevan Docherty of New Zealand won the final Edmonton BG Triathlon World Cup in a time of 1 hour 45 minutes and 54 seconds. Docherty used his blistering run speed to wipe away a 30-second deficit after the bike and claim the last gold medal to be handed out in the long-running event. Behind him was the young Russian Alexander Brukhankov, 21 seconds back, and Olympic bronze medalist Sven Riederer of Switzerland, another 28 seconds back. For two years straight the Kiwi men have been at top the men’s podium with Olympic champion Hamish Carter winning here last year.

The opening 1,500-meter swim went as expected with all the top names coming out of the water within 30 seconds of each other. Almost immediately, however, two large groups formed at the front of the bike. This lead group of 18 went unchanged over the first four of six laps, putting valuable time into the chase group. On the fourth lap, however, three men, Kris Gemmell of New Zealand, Clayton Fettell of Australia and Reinaldo Colucci of Brazil broke away from the main group, hoping to put enough time between themselves and the chasers before the 10-kilometre run.

At the end of the 40-kilometre bike this small group had 30 seconds on the chase group. It was another two and a half minutes to the second chase group. This lead did not last long as Docherty flew through the three leaders by the halfway point of the first run lap. From there the former world champion cruised to the fourth world cup victory of his career.

Current world Junior silver medalist, Brukhankov, also managed to chase down the leaders early and make his way onto his second world cup podium while Riederer only nipped Gemmell at the line. Coming into the final turn, Riederer and Gemmell were side-by-side, testing each other. Gemmell made the first move with the Swiss athlete responding instantly, powering past the Kiwi to take the final podium position.

Gemmell crossed the line in fourth place with young Colucci rounding out the top five.

With his win, Docherty moves to within four points of current world cup leader Javier Gomez of Spain.

The Edmonton world cup concludes the North American leg of the 2007 BG Triathlon World Cup series. After six world cups in eight weeks, action resumes on July 22nd in the skiing-mecca, Kitzbuhel, Austria.

2007 Edmonton BG Triathlon World Cup – Elite Men results
1. DOCHERTY, Bevan (NZL) 1:45:54
2. BRUKHANKOV, Alexander (RUS) 1:46:14 +:21
3. RIEDERER, Sven (SUI) 1:46:42 +:49
4. GEMMELL, Kris (NZL) 1:46:43 +:50
5. COLUCCI, Reinaldo (BRA) 1:46:54 +1:01
6. BOZZONE, Terenzo (NZL) 1:46:58 +1:05
7. REED, Matthew (USA) 1:47:06 +1:13
8. AGOSTON, Simon (AUT) 1:47:14 +1:21
9. REED, Shane (NZL) 1:47:17 +1:24
10. VASILIEV, Ivan (RSA) 1:47:18 +1:25

Full results are available here

Watch exclusive race video now.

Click here for the official race gallery